Mega Man Battle Network Series
MegaMan Battle Network (Rockman.EXE in Japan) is the fourth sub-series of games set in the Mega Man universe. There are eleven different entries in the series (not including remakes or ports), including mobile phone games. The sub-series stars yet another incarnation of the original Mega Man, the main NetNavi protagonist MegaMan.EXE. Shinsuke Komaki did the artwork for this series, and MegaMan Star Force as well. Games in the Sub-Series 'Main Games' * MegaMan Battle Network - (2001) * MegaMan Battle Network 2 - (2001) * MegaMan Battle Network 3 - (2002) * MegaMan Battle Network 4 - (2003) * MegaMan Battle Network 5 - (2004) * MegaMan Battle Network 6 - (2005) 'Spin-offs' * MegaMan Network Transmission - (2003) * MegaMan Battle Chip Challenge - (2003) * Rockman.EXE WS - a WonderSwan platformer (like Network Transmission) instead of an RPG. - (2003 - Japan only) * Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation - non-canon entry featuring characters from the fourth game - (2004 - Japan only) * Rockman.EXE Phantom of Network - (2004 - Japan only) - mobile phone game. * Rockman.EXE Legend of Network - (2007 - Japan only) - mobile phone game. 'Remakes and Ports' * Rockman.EXE N1 Battle - (2003 - Japan only) - WonderSwan port of Battle Chip Challenge. * Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting Star - (2009 - Japan only) Series History The series is set in the year 200X, (sometimes written as 20XX) in an alternate version of the original Mega Man universe in which computer sciences, rather than robotics, were the subject of the most research. Like the original, there were two main projects and only one was funded, but unlike the original, the work of Dr. Tadashi Hikari (the series' version of Dr. Light) in the field of networking and AI programs had been funded over Dr. Wily's research in robotics. The result of Dr. Hikari's research was the PET (Personal Terminal), a small computer which is used similarly to a cellular phone or PDA and which contains a customizable artificial intelligence complete with emotions, known as a NetNavi (short for Network Navigator). A NetNavi is responsible for helping the operator search, use, and surf the internet as well as protect the PET and itself from viruses. Within years, the Internet evolves to the point where it literally becomes possible to send an AI into it and physically move around as if it were another world. There is some danger, however: viruses evolve alongside Navis and the Internet to become intelligent on some level. Navis presumably have advanced data to prevent tampering with their code directly. However, because the Internet has evolved to the point of taking on a manifestation, so, too, can virtual weapons be used. If a Navi or a Virus takes too much damage from viral weapons, its programming will lose integrity, disperse, and be deleted shortly afterwards. Navis, however, have weapons of their own: Each Navi has antiviral weapons that are built directly into its programming that provide basic defense, and which can be sent weapon programs from the PET via the use of BattleChips. Some years later, the series focuses on Tadashi's grandson, Lan Hikari (Netto Hikari in Japan) and his extraordinary Navi, MegaMan.EXE (Rockman.EXE). They somehow get involved in foiling the schemes of a net-crime organization called the WWW ("World Three"), headed by Wily. In another tribute to the original series, most of the Navis in the series are named after characters from the Mega Man Classic series (although in Battle Network all NetNavis carry the "EXE" file extension, to differentiate them from their original counterparts). However, as the games progressed, certain characters from the Mega Man X series, most notably Zero, Iris and Colonel, have appeared as NetNavis. Completely original NetNavis have also been made for the series, with some exclusive to the anime. Anime The games lent themselves to an anime adaptation in Japan, also titled Rockman.EXE. The English language version is known as MegaMan NT Warrior, and has edits resulting from Americanization. The anime is very loosely based on the games (in particular, Battle Network 3), with few story events in common. The series has spawned four sequels, Axess, Stream, Beast, and Beast+. Stream is loosely based on the fourth and fifth Battle Network games, with heavy Battle Network 3 influences. Beast has shown fairly heavy influences from the 6th Battle Network game. Though Beast was half the length of the previous series, another series premiered after it called Beast+. At this point, the series had become part of the Oha Coliseum programming block, now taking up only a 10 minute time-slot (alongside an Ape Escape anime). Beast+ focuses on the more obscure, left-over elements from the games that were previously ignored, such as Transmission and the Japan-only mobile game, Phantom of the Network. The 26th episode of Beast+ marked the series finale, and an anime based on Mega Man Star Force took its place immediately afterwards. Manga A manga series was produced by Ryo Takamisaki, and serialized in Coro Coro Comics in Japan. The series concluded at volume 13. Thirteen volumes of the English language MegaMan NT Warrior adaptation have been published by VIZ Media. Box Art Image:MMBNCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network Image:MMNTCoverScan.png|MegaMan Network Transmission Image:MMBN2CoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 2 Image:MMBN3BlueCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 3 Blue Image:MMBN3WhiteCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 3 White Image:MMBCChallengeCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Chip Challenge Image:MMBN4BlueMoonCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 4 Blue Moon Image:MMBN4RedSunCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 4 Red Sun Image:MMBN5DTCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 5 DT Image:MMBN6FalzarCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 6 Cybeast Falzar Image:MMBN6GregarCoverScan.png|MegaMan Battle Network 6 Cybeast Gregar Image:RockmanEXEWonderSwan.png|Rockman.EXE WS Image:RockmanEXE4Point5RO.png|Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation Merchandise 'Artbooks and Soundtracks' Image:RockEXEArtbook3.png|Character Illustration Artbook Image:RockEXEArtbook.png|Character Concept Artbook Image:RockEXEArtbook2.png|Creation Material Artbook Image:MMBNArtbookCompleteWorks.png|Complete Works Artbook Image:EXE4.5Guidebook.png|4.5 Real Operation Guidebook Image:EXEOST1-3.png|''OST'' 1-3 Image:EXEOST4-5.png|''OST'' 4-5 Image:EXEOST5-6.png|''OST'' 5-6 Image:MMNTAnimeCD.png|''Anime'' Song Collection 'Anime' Image:RMEXE_Anime_1.png|''Japan'' Vol. 1 Image:RMEXE_Anime_2.png|''Japan'' Vol. 2 Image:RMEXE_Anime_3.png|''Japan'' Vol. 3 Image:RMEXE_Anime_4.png|''Japan'' Vol. 4 Image:RMEXE_Anime_5.png|''Japan'' Vol. 5 Image:RMEXE_Anime_6.png|''Japan'' Vol. 6 Image:RMEXE_Anime_7.png|''Japan'' Vol. 7 Image:RMEXE_Anime_8.png|''Japan'' Vol. 8 Image:RMEXE_Anime_9.png|''Japan'' Vol. 9 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol1.png|''NA'' Vol. 1 Image:MMNTWAnime2.png|''NA'' Vol. 2 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol3.png|''NA'' Vol. 3 Image:MMNTWAnime4.png|''NA'' Vol. 4 Image:MMNTWAnime5.png|''NA'' Vol. 5 Image:MMNTWAnime6.png|''NA'' Vol. 6 Image:MMNTWAnime7.png|''NA'' Vol. 7 Image:MMNTWAnime8.png|''NA'' Vol. 8 Image:MMNTWAnimeVo9.png|''NA'' Vol. 9 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol10.png|''NA'' Vol. 10 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol11.png|''NA'' Vol. 11 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol12.png|''NA'' Vol. 12 Image:MMNTWAnimeVol13.png|''NA'' Vol. 13 'Manga' Image:MMNTWManga1.png|''Manga Vol. 1'' Image:MMNTWManga2.png|''Manga Vol. 2'' Image:MMNTWManga3.png|''Manga Vol. 3'' Image:MMNTWManga4.png|''Manga Vol. 4'' Image:MMNTWManga5.png|''Manga Vol. 5'' Image:MMNTWManga6.png|''Manga Vol. 6'' Image:MMNTWManga7.png|''Manga Vol. 7'' Image:MMNTWManga8.png|''Manga Vol. 8'' Image:MMNTWManga9.png|''Manga Vol. 9'' Image:MMNTWManga10.png|''Manga Vol. 10'' Image:MMNTWManga11.png|''Manga Vol. 11'' Image:MMNTWManga12.png|''Manga Vol. 12'' Image:MMNTWManga13.png|''Manga Vol. 13'' External Link *Rockman.exe Online Category:Sub-Series